The punk rock group Sex Pistols, which burst upon an astonished world just a few short weeks ago, has parted from its recording company. EMI, the world's largest recording company, announced yesterday that it and the group, on tour in Holland, had agreed to end the group's recording contract.

The company said: "EMI feels it is unable to promote this group's records in view of the adverse publicity generated over the last two months - although recent press reports of their behaviour appear to have been exaggerated."

The Sex Pistols were reported to have abused and spat at passengers and airline officials at Heathrow airport on Tuesday, as they left for Holland. One was said to have vomited. An EMI spokesman said the decision was not just based on the incident.

But the publicity surrounding the group meant it was "not viable" for EMI to promote them any more. Last October the company signed them on a two-year contract for a reputed £40,000.

Sex Pistols rose from obscurity on December 1 by the ploy of swearing on Thames Television's Today programme, leading to press outrage, two weeks' suspension for the interviewer, Mr Bill Grundy, and a spate of cancelled bookings.

There followed also a series of deeply researched and serious articles in the Sunday papers, from which adults learnt that punk rock is a minor strain of rock, started about two years ago in America. It is unsophisticated, raw, and aggressive, with the group wearing tatty clothes.

The Sex Pistols, led by Johnny Rotten, made one record for EMI in spite of the company's women packers refusal to handle it because of the swearing. It was called Anarchy in the UK, sold 1,800 copies the day after the television appearance, and got to number 34 in the British charts.

The group's manager is Mr Malcolm McLaren, aged 29, who has been in the forefront of the punk rock movement in this country. He has a boutique in Chelsea where he sells clothes, such as a "Cambridge rapist" leather mask, leather T-shirts, and a variety of rubber and bondage outfits.

Mr McLaren said yesterday as far as he was concerned the group were still with EMI. He said EMI wanted to sack the group. "They don't want to be associated with us. There has been no distribution or promotion of the group's record."

He is "into anarchy," and has said of his group: "They're political; they want to destroy society and start again." Which is just what the group is having to do.